The Sheriff’s Department utilizes video cameras in the Custody Services Divisions to enhance safety and effectiveness for personnel in the performance of their duties, and to provide a reviewable electronic record of incidents.
Regardless of the method of recording, use of video equipment at a Sheriff’s Department custody facility by personnel shall be restricted to law enforcement functions, and is subject to all applicable laws, policies, and procedures.
Portable video cameras (e.g., camcorders, iPods, etc.) are handheld devices used to record incidents, interviews, crime scenes, and any other situation warranting an audio/visual accounting.
All video equipment must be approved by the Custody Training and Standards Bureau (CTSB) prior to use in the Custody Services Division. For a current list of approved video equipment and accessories, please contact CTSB Operations at [REDACTED TEXT].
Personally owned video recording devices of any kind are not authorized and shall not be brought into the secured areas of any custody facility without prior approval from the watch commander.
Reasonable attempts shall be made to record significant incidents with a portable video camera including, but not limited to, the following:
Video recording equipment should only be used by trained personnel who have successfully completed the eight (8) hour “Basic Video” course presented by CTSB. The training sergeant at each unit shall maintain a list of trained personnel. Personnel who have not completed the “Basic Video” course may record significant incidents in emergent situations when trained personnel are not known or available.
A designated video operator should respond to the incident and begin recording using the wide angle field of view. Unless no other option is available, supervisors should not assume the role of video operator. The video operator shall state on the recording:
Only factual information shall be narrated while recording on video.
In order to establish a time line for the incident, the video recording should not be paused or stopped until the entire incident has concluded. If the incident becomes active after the recording was concluded, the recording shall be reinitiated immediately and all requirements of this policy shall be adhered to. If a battery, tape, or memory storage device change becomes necessary while recording an incident, the video operator shall re-introduce his/her name, rank, employee number, time, and state the reason for the interruption. The recording should include documentation of injuries, evidence, emergency medical treatment, and statements by all concerned parties.
In the case of emergency medical treatment, video recording should continue after medical staff arrives, throughout the course of medical treatment, and until the inmate is completely stable, no longer resisting, and the medical staff has completed treatment. Outside medical personnel rendering first aid, while inside a custody facility, shall be recorded on video until they finish treating the inmate.
When documenting inmate injuries, all inmates at or near the incident should be interviewed on video individually. When documenting a large inmate disturbance, the incident commander should be recorded on video directing inmates with injuries to come forward.
When video recording injured inmates custody personnel shall:
Since the dynamics of an incident are constantly changing, the video operator should periodically pan around the entire area to show as much of the surroundings as possible, personnel present, and conversations between the inmate(s) and personnel. Whenever possible, only the on-scene supervisor should make the decision to stop recording an active incident.
Fixed video surveillance involves cameras permanently or temporarily mounted in designated locations which continuously record all activities in the cameras' view.
The Sheriff’s Department’s primary objectives with fixed video surveillance are to:
All radio transmissions on the facility's main radio frequency are recorded, absent technical difficulties, via the Department's Voice Print Systems. Access to the Voice Print Systems will be restricted to supervisors. The Sheriff's Department primary objective with the Voice Print Systems are to:
Supervisors shall review all available video and radio transmission recordings as soon as reasonably possible following any inmate incident, force incident, or significant facility incident, with the exception of incidents involving inmate deaths. Unit commanders or above shall be the only personnel authorized to review video recordings involving inmate deaths. Personnel shall not review video recordings involving inmate deaths without direct authorization from their unit commander. If a supervisor determines a recording(s) may have evidentiary value, or should be preserved by the Department for official use, the recording(s) shall be saved on the server and to a video medium (e.g., a compact disc [CD], digital video disc [DVD], or secure digital [SD] card). A copy of the video(s) and radio transmission(s) shall be retained in accordance with applicable laws and Department policies and procedures regarding handling of video and/or evidence.
Under no circumstances shall personnel forward any image, video, or audio, captured as a result of their employment, to entities outside of the Department without unit commander approval. Refer to Manual of Policy and Procedures (MPP) sections 3-01/100.46, “Use of Communication Devices,” 3-01/040.95, “Confidential Information,” and 3-01/030.78, “Prohibition on Profiteering.”
Video copied to CD, DVD, SD card or other memory storage device should be properly labeled with the following:
NOTE: SD cards are small and the label provided does not allow sufficient space to write all the required information as listed above. Write the retention, the reporting year, and the sequential of the URN on the front of the SD card label. The SD card shall be sealed inside of a small paper envelope and all of the above required information shall be written on the outside of the envelope.
Once it has been verified that video recorded on portable video cameras has been successfully preserved in accordance with this policy, all video on the camera shall be deleted (or blank storage media shall be placed in the camera) prior to returning the video camera to its assigned location.
Incidents recorded on video not associated with an URN or reference number, shall be held, for a minimum of twelve (12) months and thereafter destroyed at the discretion of the watch commander. Recorded radio transmissions not associated with an URN or reference number will be retained for a minimum of two (2) years. Fixed video surveillance cameras will record continuously and the contents shall be retained in electronic storage devices for a minimum of twelve (12) months, unless otherwise directed in writing by the respective Custody Services Division chief.
If there are no trained personnel on-duty to retrieve a recording, the supervisor shall notify the unit commander and the video manager and provide the following information:
The requesting supervisor shall follow up to ensure the requested surveillance recording is saved and retained in accordance with the requirement of this policy. Supervisors shall ensure documentation of all reportable incidents clearly indicates whether or not an incident was captured on video.
Supervisors shall ensure all video recordings and photographic evidence associated with an Incident Report (SH-R-49) is entered in the Department's Property, Evidence, and Laboratory Information Management System (PRELIMS). When a case is submitted for prosecution, Custody Investigative Services (CIS) investigators shall include all video and photographic evidence provided by the originating facility with their filing package, unless privileged or otherwise precluded by law. This includes:
If there is no evidence booked into PRELIMS, the investigator shall contact the operations staff at the originating facility and request all evidence to be booked into PRELIMS.
Unit commanders shall develop and implement procedures for video recording significant incidents occurring at their facilities, and ensure proper handling and preservation of the recordings. Unit commanders shall designate a supervisor to be the video manager, responsible for ensuring video equipment is properly stored and maintained, regular tests of video equipment are being completed, and proper video evidence retention procedures are in place.
Watch commanders shall ensure all video recording equipment is inspected once per shift. This requires the watch commander to ensure personnel who use video equipment inspect their devices at the beginning of each shift to confirm the following:
Inspection of portable video equipment shall include:
Inspection of fixed video equipment shall include:
NOTE: Data Systems Bureau (DSB) is responsible for establishing protocols governing the security and remote monitoring of server rooms at each facility. The rooms shall remain locked and shall not be accessed by unit personnel, except in case of emergency, or at the direction of DSB.
Questions regarding video operator procedures, training, video recording equipment, and requests for video editing or copies may be directed to the CTSB Media Production Office.